Clutch problems

I've got a 2006 manual 6 speed which to my assumption has never had clutch work so 133k miles on the original. As of the last year i've found it grinds ever so slightly going into 1, 2 and 3rd gear if the rpms aren't above 2500-3000. A few times in the last year i've pushed the clutch in to start driving and it wouldn't go into gear. I had to let out the clutch and push it in again and it went into gear.
I'm guessing its the slave cylinder? if so or if not, what kind of parts would i need and how much would it cost to have it done, i'm not familiar enough to do this job myself. BUT need it done asap before the thing leaves me stranded.

 

If the slave is not leaking its good, your problem sounds like the clutch pressure plate is getting worn and not releasing the disk fully. After 133K its probably safe to say you need a new clutch.

 

i've already had the clutch disc and cover replaced last year including the throw out bearing...

 

Your first post you said the clutch is all original, but than you said it was replaced last year? Your options are the clutch itself or maybe one of the cylinders. But if neither of the cylinders are leaking and you are good on fluid, have no air in there etc. Then I would look at the clutch. Also make sure your clutch pedal is properly adjusted. Some people have mentioned the quill becoming gouged (like it often does), this can cause the release bearing to stick and hang on the quill which can also prevent the clutch from releasing or engaging.

 

If you don't feel it slipping, maybe your clutch is fine. Have you tried switching to Redline MT-90 in your tranny? Make sure it's GL4. It may just be a synchro thing in the transmission. My 2014 did the same thing until I switched manual transmission fluid. I put in Lucas but I've heard the Redline is even better.

For $20, it would be worth a shot.

 

^^^^what this guy said. Redline MT-90 got rid of the notchyness in my truck.

 

Op have two 6 speeds and I'm thinking that you either have a mechanical issue or a gear oil issue. I also recently completely rebuilt a 6 speed.

First the mechanical. Try the easy stuff first. If this were mine I would bleed the slave cylinder and check to see if it is leaking or appears to leak down internally while your foot is pressed to the floor on the clutch pedal. Also look up under the dash high on the extreme left side and see if you can see anything that looks like a leak starting to form around the master cylinder.

Additionally, check the FSM (factory service manual) for the procedure of adjusting the clutch pedal. It is hard to explain verbally, at least for me, so if you can look at it and then PM me with questions about the adjustment as that seems to work the best. I generally do not automatically suspect pedal adjustment unless the clutch has been replaced, and you said it had.

As far as gear oil, when was the last time it was changed? The transmission only holds 1.9 qt. and the gear oil likely wears out pretty fast, and it is certainly not enough to cool it very well. Worse, the transmission has no internal magnet or filter to collect ferrous particles (the small cheap, weak magnet on the end of the drain plug does not count). Both my 6 speeds shifted rather sketchy from new and I have literally tried every available manual transmission gear oil, all with disappointment. The Redline MT-90 seem just ok but seemed to wear out around a few thousand miles.

Then I found one. The absolute best of the best MTM gear oil that I found and use is this: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ado-10-4059 It can also be found at GM dealers as GM 12346190, and Chrysler dealers as, well I forgot the part number. It is one of the very few fully synthetic manual transmission gear oils and has a 75w-90 weight and a GL-4 rating, perfect for our transmissions. It also has a story. It was formulated under contract from GM/Chrysler with Castrol to address problem shifting issues and overheating with their NV4500 transmission and appears to be one of the only ones that work.

My six speeds love this stuff and it has a high viscosity index so it also is great for cold weather shifting.

Other than that there could be a mechanical issue inside the transmission. But try the above first.

 

So as an update and to answer some questions, i did change the transmission fluid to redline mt90, i adjusted the clutch pedal and bled the slave cylinder and the notchy shifts continue.
I only did three cycles of pumping the pedal 5 times and holding it down the 6th i cracked the bleeder and let fluid drip out. When i adjusted the clutch pedal i unscrewed the jam nut and twisted the rod until the pedal had no more play. There was 10-20 mm of pedal travel before it started engaging the clutch. The pedal feels a little better but still is a bit spongy the first 10-20 mm of travel and the shifts are still notchy. It seems to shift the smoothest at rps over 3000. I was doing the one person method where you pump the pedal then shove a piece of wood on the pedal holding it down and stick it against the seat or seat rails. The last bleed i closed the valve and went back into the cap to pull the 2x4 out and the clutch was stuck to the floor, i fucking panicked! I just pulled on it and it came right out but that doesn't seem right to me, something is wearing out.

The items replaced last year were the clutch disc, cover, t.o. bearing. I'm almost positive the slave is the original, likely the master too. I'm going to check for leaks in the cab today but i would have noticed something like that over the many times vacuuming it. I'll thoroughly check the slave today as well to see if there's any leaks, there wasn't any when i was under it today but i didn't look at the whole body of the slave.

Thanks everyone for your input, you guys/girls are smart.

 

does anyone else have any suggestions on this? Could it be possible that my wheel cylinders in the rear are leaking and letting air into the lines working their way into the clutch line?
Because they are the original 2006 ones and my ebrake barely works anymore even having new shoes in the drums. it obviously needs a new spring and cylinder kit...

 

When i drive over potholes or bumps and just happen to be shifting at the time i can feel teeth hitting each other. I don't know if those are syncro teeth or gear teeth. I Hope this isn't something serious like needing the trans rebuilt...!

 

wheel cylinders have nothing to do with your clutch... have you ever checked the transmission fluid level?

 

Redline MT-90 made my "notchy" trans feel like butter after about 500 miles

 

I hate to be judgemental, but based purely off of your post above: You do not have a basic understanding of what makes the clutch work or the brakes. Do yourself a huge favor and either enlist the assistance of someone that does know something about automotive mechanics or take it to a shop.

 

i just changed it a month ago. the fluid that came out was just over a year old i realized after i drained it so its been maintained. i'm starting to think its something serious...

 

and what did you fill it with?

 

redline mt90

 

Please let us know in a couple of weeks, if it's any better. If it's not, then you may indeed have problems.

 

mine has always done that...so im going to say it's normal.

 

For the record I had put redline in my trans when I did my initial fluid change (at about 32k) but after about 3k miles I couldn't tell much if any difference between the redline and the OEM fluid (both where notchy when cold through the first 3 gears) I drained out of there. I ended up going with fords manual trans synthetic oil:

$34 Ford Genuine Ford Fluid XT-M5-QS Full Synthetic Manual Transmission Fluid - 1 Quart , black

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Ford-XT-M5-QS-Synthetic-Transmission/dp/B000NUES82

My experience has been that it feels about 30% better (no notchiness what so ever at any point) than OEM fluid and the redline, however my experience appears to be rare since most people will swear by the redline stuff. But if you wanna try the ford stuff you can get it locally at the stealership. It seems a lot of people aren't aware of this stuff but it is quite good in my own experience... Just my two cents.

 

I've got a 2017 V6 TRD and at 45,000 miles I've been told I need a new clutch!! Has anyone else had this problem?